who's in the showroom ...

the artists who have joined us in the studio showroom

The MazAmar Studio and Showroom in Pioneertown welcomes visitors from around the world daily and features not only the work of Thomas and Amara, but several other local artists as well. The 'hours' sign is just a reflection of our 'Pioneertown Spirit' ... we're actually pretty much here from 10-6 every day with the exception of Thanksgiving and Christmas.

We are Thomas and Amara Alban, progenitors of all things MazAmar. Our artistic expression manifests mainly in the form of functional ware, made with love, for folks from all over to enjoy using year after year. However, a perusal through the 'previous fun' page of this site, will reveal another, less practical side. More information on Thomas and Amara can be found here.

Caitlin Deane is a clay artist, earth architecture student, aspiring wilder babe, and desert dweller. She received her BFA in Ceramics and Concentration in Curatorial Studies in 2012 from the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, MD. Afterward, she left her east coast urban life to pursue the vastness of the southwest and an education in natural building. Caitlin studied at the California Institute of Earth Art and Architecture, where she completed two long-term apprenticeships from 2012-2013 and completed a site-specific sculpture garden in 2015. She currently enjoys a daily meditative practice of throwing pottery for her own line, Urthen, and for us, here at MazAmar in Pioneertown.

Geoffrey Fennell's art has been inspired by his experiences in the high desert of the last 14 years.Geoff prints all of his own art on a large Giclee printer that is tuned specifically to give him the bestimage quality for his artwork. All of his Giclee canvas prints are "Master" or "Original" prints, not copies.(They represent exactly the color he chose for each of his artworks.)

Giclee printing process guarantees archival prints that should last for over 100 years if cared for correctly.

BACKGROUNDRaised on a remote cattle/hunting ranch in northern Wyoming, Geoff discovered the natural world of someof the last wild areas in the Bighorn Mts. At age 17 he gave up hunting for photography. His nature studiestook him to the Carriacou Marine Biology School on the small island of Carriacou, Grenada for a 2 yearperiod, giving him an even deeper connection to the natural world.

Geoff started his professional career as an Oxberry animation cameraman at 19 years old and a few yearslater attended the Experimental Film School at California Institute of the Arts under the mentorship ofMyron Emery, Jules Engel and Ed Emshwiller. During his time there he taught the first motion controlcamera lab and first 3-D Computer Graphics Lab under a Ray Stark Scholarship.For the next 25 years Geoff worked in the Visual Effects (special optical effects) industry inHollywood, Los Angeles, Santa Monica and Venice. During which time he was the SeniorVFX director/animator at Mr. Film Studios, Venice, Ca. where he was a member of the team thatpioneered the first Motion Capture production studio in the Los Angeles/Hollywood area. (Motion Capture is capturing the motions of humans, then attaching that data to Real-Time(and non-real time) computer graphic characters.)

In 1999 Geoff left the film industry to begin his journey to find his own creative language using allthe tools he had learned from his professional Visual Effects career. For the last 15 years Geoff hascreated a large catalog of his photography, illustrations, paintings and experimental performance animations.

Kyle Hanson produces beautiful orgonite pieces (metals and fine stones artfully encased in acrylic resin) utilizing personally hand-picked materials in very unique designs. The result is one-of-a-kind pendants and pyramids which are experienced to harmonize, clear and protect the wearer's energy field from unnatural or disharmonious frequencies, including EMF's from WiFi and cellular towers.

He continues to be inspired by the work of scientist Wilheim Reich who first created the orgonite technology in the 1930's and who made a scientific study of what he called orgone energy, or what is more commonly known as qi, reiki, prana or life force energy. Kyle's life-long and intimate connection with Mother Earth and his appreciation for Her natural healing and balancing powers shows through in his work. His intuitive use of metals, minerals and rich designs featuring sacred geometry and sweet organic expression. Each piece comes with a list of 'ingredients' and give the qualities of the stones and how they might assist the wearer. Born and raised in the Joshua Tree area, he is devoted to bringing loving and healing through each piece.

Tony Soares is a local artist who uses primitive methods of forming and firing to create beautiful traditional Native American-style pottery. Prehistoric pottery was made in Southern California for more than 1,000 years. The pottery style was known as the coil/paddle and anvil technique. The pots were usually large, buff to brown in color, very thin walls, and a narrow neck. Many of these pots were used to store seeds and nuts, keeping them safe from rodents. Some pots were decorated with red or brown designs made from iron oxides.

As a boy, Tony discovered his own clay digs after his grandmother showed him the basics of pottery. Tony has gone on to revive this style of pottery on many reservations in California and with Yuman groups along the Colorado River. The biggest collection of Tony's pots are in the Springs Preserve Museum in Las Vegas, Nevada. All of his pots are hand-made in Joshua Tree, California, using local clays.